Now the vocation of Israel was indeed to be a holy people, who were to be a light to the nations. This is our call as well, because we, too, are God’s disciples who are called to be holy. He speaks to us, knowing the real poverty of our attempts to follow Him. He speaks always from the richness of His love and mercy for each of us. Of course, His call for each of us is to repentance and conversion.

The call to holiness, that is, to be God’s light to the world, is our vocation. What “comes out” of each one of us is important. This is how His kingdom grows in us and among us.

Mark tells us that these Pharisees and scribes had come from Jerusalem. The mention of Jerusalem is a reminder that Jesus will die on a cross outside the walls of that city and that we will see the “Holy One of God.” Before he fed the 5,000, Mark tells us that Jesus felt a deep-seated compassion for the crowds, because they were like “sheep without a shepherd.” It is this same compassion which sent him to the cross. By the victory he won for us then, he has opened up the possibility that in his hands, once nailed to the cross, we might become the place where others encounter goodness, honesty, humility, justice, mercy, faith, hope, and love, and where our actions might offer genuine witness to the height and the depth, the width and the breadth of his undying love.

We have to consider two ways by which we can go beyond the rituals in order to enjoy more the blessings of God:

1. Approach the rituals with purity of heart: For instance, the ritual of the washing of hands is meaningless when undertaken with impure or unrepentant heart. Hence, in the gospel reading, Jesus stressed the need for purity of heart: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” St. James would later emphasize this point: true religion entails keeping oneself unstained from the world. Let us sincerely repent before we approach any Christian ritual.
2. Be compassionate towards others: The God whom we must approach with purity of heart and whose mysteries we must be conscious of is not visible to our eyes. Hence, a concrete way of expressing the fact that we are going beyond the rituals is to love others as He has loved us in His Son Jesus Christ. Such compassionate love should be given especially to the poor. St. James states that true religion entails the care of widows and orphans in their need.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, this means that our worship in the church has more meaning when it is accompanied by works of charity outside of it: showing love and mercy towards others as Jesus did to the poor and the needy, sick and unwanted. He did not look at the rituals, but above all, he looked at the heart of God’s love. So, by putting this into practice we shall be “Holy” or fulfill the call to be holy always.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Faith is a gift which God freely gives to those who listen to his Word and who put their trust in him. Faith is a personal response to God’s revelation of himself. Faith is neither blind nor ignorant. It is based on the truth and reliability of God’s Word. True faith seeks understanding. Saint Augustine said, “I believe in order to understand, and I understand the better to believe.” The Lord Jesus offers all his followers freely this great gift of faith for being with him. We know that his life-giving Word and Spirit always help us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

St. Paul the Apostle tells the Ephesians that it is the work of the Holy Spirit who enlightens the eyes of our hearts and minds to understand the truth and wisdom which come from God. Faith is the key to understanding and experiencing God’s action and work in our personal lives. Paul the Apostle tells us that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” We can know God personally, and we grow in recognizing his voice as we listen to his word and obey his instruction. St. Peter tells us that Jesus has the words of everlasting life and the power to change and transform our lives. Ask the Lord Jesus to increase your faith and serve him as your Lord and Redeemer.

The early Church Father St. Augustine says: “‘Unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, you shall not have life in you,’ says the Lord. Eat life—drink life. You will then have life, and life is complete. Then the Body and Blood of Christ will be life for each person under this condition: what is eaten visibly in the Sacrament is spiritually eaten and spiritually drunk in truth itself.”

Therefore, let us pray: Dear Lord I surrender my whole being before you. Please do take care of my life and help me to believe in your Word, which is eternal and life giving. Lead me wherever you want me to go and do the
things that you want me to do. May there be nothing which hinders me from trusting in your love and following your will always. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus chose the time of the Jewish Feast of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum—giving his disciples his body and his blood as the true bread of heaven. When the Lord Jesus commands his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he invites us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself.

At the last supper when Jesus blessed the cup of wine, he gave it to his disciples saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus was pointing to the sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, when he would shed his blood for us—thus pouring himself out and giving himself to us—as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal (Passover) lamb whose blood spared the Israelites from death in Egypt.

We often forget that receiving our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is a privilege rather than a right. If it is a right, then God and the Church owe us a duty to dispense it to us without questioning our motives or disposition. But if it is a privilege, then the Eucharist is a pouring forth of God’s beneficent grace to the undeserving, a privilege which we should never take lightly. And this is why we pray this at every Mass before receiving Holy Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” This sense of unworthiness is also reflected in one of the two prayers said by the priest quietly before he receives the body and blood of Christ: “May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy.”

The Church has always understood that “in the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and, therefore, the whole Christ, is truly, really, and substantially contained,” says the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

She calls this presence “real” because “it is presence in the fullest sense; that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.” It “begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.” Jesus declares Himself as the bread of life, offering eternal life through the consumption of His flesh and blood in the Holy Eucharist.

We shall receive Him with great love towards Him always with holiness and respect to Him.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

There was a beautiful story told about a great king and his Palace. His palace was magnificent and luxurious with the excitement of special guests arriving from all over the world. One day there arrived among the many guests a Spiritual Master (Guru). So, the servants quickly brought the man into the presence of the king. The king at once recognized the Guru and welcomed him happily to his beautifully decorated palace. Sitting down in reverence, the king asked very politely, “How can I help you, sir?” or “What can I do for you, sir?” Immediately the Guru said, “I want to stay the night in this inn, please.”

The king said, “This is not an inn but it is my own Castle.” So, the Guru asked the king, “Who was the owner of this place before you?” The king said, “It was my father, who else?” The guru asked where he is now, and the king said he died a few years back and he is gone from here.

After a moment of silence, the guru said, “Who owned this palace before your father?” The king said, “It was owned by his father, of course.” “Where is he now?” the guru asked. The king said, “He is long ago gone from this palace.”

“So according to what you have said, all those who stayed here stayed only for a short period of time. After that they all continued to travel somewhere else. Then this palace is nothing but an inn! Am I right?” asked the guru. The king had no answer for that.

“It is the temporary residence of a passer-by; a night in an inn” Marcus Aurelius said once. He was a Roman Emperor and a philosopher. When people have power and wealth in life, they think that this world is a permanent place for them. They forget that their earthly life leads to eternity. The Bible says that our citizenship is in Heaven (Phil 3:20). That is, heaven is our real home and eternal city. That is where we will live forever. We will live with God. This world is only an inn, or in other words, only a passing-by place. No human beings here stay in this world forever. When the time comes, they will leave this place to go to the other world.

So, therefore, learn how we can gather blessings from this world to go to heaven. When we share our things of this world with others, or share them with the poor, the needy, and the unwanted, then we will have blessings from heaven. Those are the resources to get into heaven. Sharing, compassion and caring are the ways to get into the heaven that Jesus promises to us. Strive hard for that always.

Love and Prayers

Fr. Charley

We see in the first reading that the Israelite people were complaining because the road of the Exodus was very rough and they complained about it to Moses. Ask ourselves when we have a time of hardship and difficulties in life, do we complain like the Israelites or do we put our trust in the Good Lord? Paul tells us that we must have the desire to do good and leave behind our old selfishness according to the likeness of God of which we are made to go forward.

Jesus tells the crowd in this week’s Gospel that they are following Him for the wrong reasons. They were seeking Him because He filled their bellies. We see the same thing with the Israelites, they were content to follow God so long as there was plenty of food to eat.

Food is the most obvious of signs—because it is the most basic of our human needs. We need our daily bread to live, but we cannot live by this bread alone. We need the bread of eternal life that preserves those who believe in Him. That is what we read in the Book of Wisdom: “Instead of these things thou didst give thy people food of angels, and without their toil thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste, so that thy sons, whom thou didst love, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man, but that thy word preserves those who trust in thee.”(Wisdom 16:20, 26).

This is the food that God longs to give us. This is the bread we should be seeking. The manna in the wilderness, like the bread Jesus multiplied for the crowd, was a sign of God’s Providence—that we should trust that He will provide for us. These signs pointed to their fulfillment in the Eucharist, the abundant bread of angels we sing about in this week’s Psalm.

We shall always ask for that Food from Heaven which will satisfy every need of our lives. We shall ask the Lord always to give us the food of the Angels. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, you are the true Bread of Heaven. Only you alone can truly satisfy the deepest longing and hunger of my heart. Nourish me with the bread of life that I may be truly satisfied in you alone as the giver of life. Amen

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Both Elisha and Jesus face a crowd of hungry people with only a few “barley” loaves. And in both the miraculous multiplication of bread satisfies the hungry and leaves food left over. The Elisha story looks back to Moses, the prophet who fed God’s people in the wilderness. Moses prophesied that God would send a prophet like him. The crowd in today’s Gospel, witnessing His miracle, identifies Jesus as that prophet. The Gospel today again shows Jesus to be the Lord, the good shepherd, who makes His people lie down on green grass and spreads a table before them.

Today Jesus points to the final fulfillment of that promise in the Eucharist. He does the same things He does at the Last Supper—He takes the loaves, pronounces a blessing of thanksgiving and gives the bread to the people. We should see that twelve baskets of bread are left over, one for each of the Apostles. These are signs that should point us to the Eucharist—in which the Church founded on the Apostles continues to feed us with the living bread of His Body.

When we approach the Table of the Lord today, what do we expect to receive from the Good Lord? I am sure that He will give us healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for our souls. The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist at the Lord’s Table is an intimate union with Jesus Christ, our Divine Healer and Savior. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. We have to hunger for the “bread of life” every day of our lives. To live a Eucharistic life means to be transformed within by Jesus in such a way that we begin to offer our bodies, blood, sweat, tears, calluses, energy, time—all we have and are—for those for whom Jesus died.

The feeding of the five thousand shows also the remarkable generosity of God and his great kindness towards human beings. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves so that we may have something to share with others. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. For that we must trust in God’s provision for us and then share freely with others, especially those who are in need. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall live our lives for Christ always and receive the Eucharist and live a Eucharistic life, sharing with our brothers and sisters what God gave and multiplies in our lives.

God Bless you all,

Fr. Charley

Shepherding was one of the oldest of callings in Israel, even before farming, since the Chosen People had traveled from place to place, living in tents, and driving their flocks from one pasture to another. Looking after sheep was no easy calling. It required great skill and courage. Herds were often quite large, thousands or even tens of thousands of sheep. The flocks spent a good part of the year in the open country. Watching over them required a great deal of
attention and care.

In the First Reading we heard that Jeremiah was saying that Israel’s leaders, through godlessness and fanciful teachings, had misled and scattered God’s people. He promises God will send a shepherd, a king and son of David, to gather the lost sheep and appoint for them new shepherds.

The crowd gathering on the green grass in today’s Gospel is the start of the remnant that Jeremiah promised would be brought back to the meadow of Israel. The people seem to sense and to come to understand that Jesus is the Lord, the good shepherd, the king they’ve been waiting for. Jesus is moved to pity, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd. This phrase was used by Moses to describe Israel’s need for a shepherd to succeed him. And as Moses appointed Joshua, Jesus appointed the Twelve to continue shepherding His people on earth. As we sing in today’s Psalm, through the Church, the Lord, our good shepherd, still leads people to the verdant pastures of the kingdom, to the restful waters of baptism; He still anoints with the oil of confirmation, and spreads the Eucharistic table before all people, filling their cups to overflowing.

Jesus’ love was a personal love for each and every person who came to him in need. We must know that peace and security of a life freely submitted to Jesus because He is the Good Shepherd. In the person of the Lord Jesus, we see the unceasing vigilance and patience of God’s love. Therefore, we must trust in his grace and help at all times.

Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, you send your only begotten son Lord Jesus as a Shepherd to guard and protect us from all evil. Help us to stand firm in your word and to trust in your help in all circumstances of our daily life. May we always find rest and refuge in your loving presence. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus gave his apostles both the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He commanded them to do the works which he did—to heal the sick, to cast out evil spirits, and to speak the word of God—the good news of the gospel which they received from Jesus. When Jesus spoke of power and authority, he did something unheard of. He wedded power and authority with self-sacrificing love and humility.

Why does Jesus tell the apostles to “travel light” with little or no provision? “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with our possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. When you are ready to use the spiritual authority and power which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf, the Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents.

Actually, in the teaching of the Catholic Church, the parents are the first missionaries—the first catechists and the first teachers to their children. They got this responsibility of first teachers when the child was baptized. They took the oath before God and the church through the minister that they are going to pass this faith to the child.

Many still have the idea that the call of Christ is addressed only to apostles and their successors, the bishops. This is not true today. All of us are called by God to be missionaries, proclaimers, and witnesses to others of His Words. The Vatican II document entitled, “On the Apostolate of the Laity” said: “Incorporated into Christ’s Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by the Spirit through Confirmation, the laity are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself.” So, whatever your call may be, you are sent out “to preach, heal, teach, and witness to the good news,” in short, to evangelize.

Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, know in your hearts that we are called to be missionaries, called by Jesus to proclaim. It is our responsibility to practice that in our daily lives. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, make me a channel of your healing power and merciful love. Free me from all the attachments of this world, that I may joyfully pursue the treasure of your heavenly kingdom. May I preach the joy of the Gospel both in word and deed. Amen.

Love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley

According to the First Book of Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart” (16:7). Today we are contaminated by a sickness which is more dangerous than AIDS or cancer or an (H1N1) influenza virus. This sickness is called He-man (Himantayon in Visayan dialect), or observing and assessing people by their looks or appearances.

On the day He taught in their synagogue he was met with suspicious, hostile looks and cynicism. The most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, or neighbor, or co-worker we rub shoulders with on a regular basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his home town, not simply as the carpenter’s son, but now as a rabbi with disciples. Their opposition was based on the fact that He was too transparent to them. They knew Him very well. They knew Him as the son of a carpenter. They could not accept this. They could not accept that the Messiah they were waiting for was just a son of a very simple and ordinary carpenter. They believed that the Messiah would come from an unknown source.

What Christ is asking from us today is that we should not set aside these Christian values of simplicity, authenticity, and sincerity. Do not make your pride reign in your hearts. Greg O’Hern said: “Be cheerful and understanding, ever ready to give a helping hand and a comforting word. When you hear an unkind remark, when you have been the object of an abuse, when you feel your grievance must be revenged, control your temper and stay calm. Forget the urging temptation to fight back, for a wrong thing done cannot be righted with another. If possible, avoid explaining your side while your neighbor is still in an irritated mood. Why try to build a castle while the storm is raging.” Jesus humbles Himself and is born like us in all things but sin. He set aside His being God in order to be close to us and to hear what is lacking in us. We must abandon our selfish biases and intellectual cynicism in order to possess a discerning heart. So let us look not at the appearance because that is deceiving, but at the heart; it is surely a win.

Let us try to see goodness in others always. Whatever the way they look is not most important; what is in the Heart is most important. From the fullness of heart, the mouth speaks. Judge no one on earth.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Charley

Jesus was aware of a touch that was out of the ordinary, a touch of faith by a desperate woman. He stops to question, “Who touched me”? He knew power had gone out of Him and He had cured someone, but to Him it was not just a face in the crowd; He had cured a person. He had to meet her face to face, speak with her, reassure her, and comfort her. The woman comes forward; she is fearful and starting to tremble; she needs reassuring, needs kind words. She fell at the feet of Jesus. Jesus simply tells her, “It is your faith that has cured you; go in peace and be free of this illness.”

According to Jewish law, this woman was unclean because of her condition. Therefore, anyone she touched would likewise be rendered unclean. Jesus shows no concern for the ritual laws of purity. His only concern is for her. “Your faith has cured you.”

We also read about Jairus. He is an official of the synagogue, part of the establishment. He would normally regard Jesus as an outsider, a heretic, one to whom the synagogue doors would be closed. It is not faith that has brought him to Jesus, but desperation.

His child was ill, so he forgot his prejudices, his dignity, and pride. He throws himself at the feet of Jesus and begs, “My daughter is dying, come and cure her.” Then a message comes, and he is told, “Your daughter has died.” Jesus tries to build his faith. He tells him that fear is useless, what is needed is trust. Just as an aside—notice that the little girl is twelve years old, and the bleeding woman has suffered the same twelve years. The ruler calls his beloved child “daughter.” Jesus called the woman healed of the bleeding “daughter,” but in both cases, Jesus touched someone who was considered unclean. Their wholeness mattered more to Jesus than His reputation.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, we shall also ask for His healing and divine touch in our daily lives. We shall ask ourselves how much trust do we have in the Lord whom you and I believe—who is the Master and Teacher to us? Do we keep any prejudice towards others in our daily lives? For Jesus what matters is the wholeness of the person, not the caste or creed he or she belongs to. We will ask the Good Lord to open our hearts and eyes to see the things of this world with Jesus’s eyes and Jesus’s heart always—that is with mercy, love, compassion, and kindness towards others.

With love and Prayers,

Fr. Charley